Communication is a process of negotiation between individuals belonging to different societies and cultures, which promotes awareness and recognition of what is different, an issue that has to be a common practice in the initial training of teachers who will work in the context of immigration and multiculturalism. From this assumption, we asked what methodological approach can provide relevant information about the intercultural communicative competence in student teachers who will eventually work in multicultural classrooms? We approach this question by reviewing specialized literature, defining as apath: a) the intercultural communicative competence; b) a framework for the triangulation of research methods; c) analysis of the advantages and limitations of the methods; d) proposed methods triangulation, e) justification of epistemological pluralism, based on the principle of social relevance of the scientific knowledge. We conclude that it is the nature of the objects of research that should guide the choice of methods and appropriate techniques to understand and explain the phenomenon of intercultural communicative competence in intercultural contexts of immigration and interculturality. © 2017, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. All rights reserved.

Intercultural communicative competence Triangulation of research methods Immigration and multiculturalism

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